Gregory Vial and Camille Grange
This paper presents a new conceptualization of digital service anchored in a coconstitutive ontology of digital “x” phenomena, illuminating the pivotal role of the digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a new conceptualization of digital service anchored in a coconstitutive ontology of digital “x” phenomena, illuminating the pivotal role of the digital qualifier in the service context. Our objective is to provide a theoretically grounded conceptualization of digital service and its impact on the nature of the value cocreation process that characterizes digital phenomena.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from scholarly works on digital phenomena and fundamental principles of service-dominant logic, this paper delineates the essence of digital service based on the interplay between digitization and digitalization as well as the operational dynamics of generativity and its constitutive dimensions (architecture, community, governance).
Findings
The paper defines digital service as a sociotechnical process of value cocreation, where participants dynamically architect, govern and leverage digital resources. This perspective highlights the organic development of digital service and the prevalence of decentralized control mechanisms. It also underscores how the intersection between generativity’s dimensions—architecture, community and governance—shapes the dynamic evolution and outcomes of digital services.
Originality/value
Our conceptual framework sheds light on our understanding of digital service, offering a foundation to further explore its nature and implications for research and practice, which we illustrate using the case of ChatGPT.
Details
Keywords
Xiaoyan Jin, Sultan Sikandar Mirza, Chengming Huang and Chengwei Zhang
In this fast-changing world, digitization has become crucial to organizations, allowing decision-makers to alter corporate processes. Companies with a higher corporate social…
Abstract
Purpose
In this fast-changing world, digitization has become crucial to organizations, allowing decision-makers to alter corporate processes. Companies with a higher corporate social responsibility (CSR) level not only help encourage employees to focus on their goals, but they also show that they take their social responsibility seriously, which is increasingly important in today’s digital economy. So, this study aims to examine the relationship between digital transformation and CSR disclosure of Chinese A-share companies. Furthermore, this research investigates the moderating impact of governance heterogeneity, including CEO power and corporate internal control (INT) mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used fixed effect estimation with robust standard errors to examine the relationship between digital transformation and CSR disclosure and the moderating effect of governance heterogeneity among Chinese A-share companies from 2010 to 2020. The whole sample consists of 17,266 firms, including 5,038 state-owned enterprise (SOE) company records and 12,228 non-SOE records. The whole sample data is collected from the China Stock Market and Accounting Research, the Chinese Research Data Services and the WIND databases.
Findings
The regression results lead us to three conclusions after classifying the sample into non-SOE and SOE groups. First, Chinese A-share businesses with greater levels of digitalization have lower CSR disclosures. Both SOE and non-SOE are consistent with these findings. Second, increasing CEO authority creates a more centralized company decision-making structure (Breuer et al., 2022; Freire, 2019), which improves the negative association between digitalization and CSR disclosure. These conclusions, however, also apply to non-SOE. Finally, INT reinforces the association between corporate digitization and CSR disclosure, which is especially obvious in SOEs. These findings are robust to alternative HEXUN CSR disclosure index. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the negative relationship between corporate digitalization and CSR disclosures is more pronounced in bigger, highly levered and highly financialized firms.
Originality/value
Digitalization and CSR disclosure are well studied, but few have examined their interactions from a governance heterogeneity perspective in China. Practitioners and policymakers may use these insights to help business owners implement suitable digital policies for firm development from diverse business perspectives.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Awais Shakir Goraya, Muhammad Zafar Yaqub, Muhammad Asif Khan, Muhammad Shakaib Akram and Hind Alofaysan
Evolving business landscapes have highlighted the crucial role of innovative digital transformation strategies (DTSs) in reimagining organisational operations and responses to…
Abstract
Purpose
Evolving business landscapes have highlighted the crucial role of innovative digital transformation strategies (DTSs) in reimagining organisational operations and responses to optimise performance, regardless of organisational size or employee composition. The study suggests that DTS is a process that occurs continuously, rather than being a one-time event. It also underscores the critical role of personal resilience and organisational support in achieving job performance goals.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a survey analysis, this study examines the impact of organisational response and agility, as fundamental components of DTS, on employees' job performance. In addition, it investigates how boundary conditions of personal resilience and organisational support moderates the relationship between (1) organisational agility and job performance, and (2) organisational response and job performance.
Findings
The research findings demonstrate the impact of DTS on job performance. It highlights the mediating roles of organisational support and agility in improving employees' performance. The study also discusses the critical role of personal resilience and organisational support in navigating the insightful impacts of organisational agility and organisational response on the job performance.
Originality/value
This paper presents a theoretical framework that integrates the dynamic capabilities of employees and organisations, providing academics and practitioners with a comprehensive perspective on the growth of employees' dynamic capabilities. By offering insightful discussions, the study highlights that, while creating new DTS, organisations not only improve their dynamic capabilities but also enhances the people’s dynamic capabilities and make them more resilient.
Details
Keywords
Hussein-Elhakim Al Issa and Mohammed Mispah Said Omar
The empirical study of factors related to digital transformation (DT) in the banking sector is still limited, even though the importance of the topic is universally evident. To…
Abstract
Purpose
The empirical study of factors related to digital transformation (DT) in the banking sector is still limited, even though the importance of the topic is universally evident. To bridge that gap, this paper aims to explore the role of digital leadership (DL), innovative culture (IC) and technostress inhibitors (TI) to support engagement for improved digital innovation (DI). Based on the literature, these variables are crucial aspects of digitalisation, even though there is no agreement on their conclusiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
This quantitative study tested a new conceptual model using survey data from five major banks in Libya. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data from the 292 usable responses.
Findings
The results showed that DL and IC positively affect DI. Techno-work engagement (TE) mediated the relationship between leadership, culture and innovation. TI played a significant moderating role in leadership, culture and engagement relationships.
Practical implications
The research findings highlight critical issues about how leadership style and fostering organisational support in the banking sector can enhance DT. Leaders must demonstrate a commitment to long-term resource allocation to avoid possible negative effects from digital stress while pursuing DI through work engagement.
Social implications
The study suggests that fostering organisational support can enhance DT in retail banks, potentially leading to improved customer experiences and increased access to financial services. These programs will help banks contribute to societal and economic development.
Originality/value
This timely study examines predictor mechanisms of innovation in retail banking that resonate within the restrictions of organisational and DI frameworks and the social exchange theory. Exploring the intervening effect of TE in the leadership, culture and innovation associations is unprecedented.
Details
Keywords
Qian-Ru Liu, Jian-Mei Liu and Zhen-Peng He
What distinguishes digital transformation from other traditional IT transformations is its involvement of the entire organization, rather than merely the IT department. Thus…
Abstract
Purpose
What distinguishes digital transformation from other traditional IT transformations is its involvement of the entire organization, rather than merely the IT department. Thus, instead of taking a perspective that is confined to the IT department, this paper studies the ambidextrous nature of digital transformation (DT) from the standpoint of the whole firm. The authors define DT ambidexterity as the capability to utilize digital technology to simultaneously improve the efficiency of existing businesses (DT exploitation) and to promote business growth (DT exploration).
Design/methodology/approach
Using annual reports of Chinese firms as a mining material, this paper deploys text mining and word frequency analysis to develop a data set of digital transformation to construct DT exploitation, DT exploration and DT ambidexterity, so that the authors can examine and compare their impact on business performance.
Findings
This study's statistics show that observations in this research sample mainly manifest DT ambidexterity and DT exploitation, while DT exploration makes up the smallest proportion. The authors find that DT exploitation, DT exploration, and DT ambidexterity have positive, yet heterogeneous effects on business performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study expands the existing literature of IT-related ambidexterity by examining the ambidextrous nature of DT from the angle of company-wide strategy instead of the perspective from IT-department and expands the extant literature of digital transformation by examining the heterogeneous effects of its different components on business performance. The authors also add to the digital strategizing literature by showing that different business strategy goals can be attained through different stages of DT.
Originality/value
This study expands the existing literature of IT-related ambidexterity by examining the ambidexterity nature of DT from the angle of company-wide strategy instead of the perspective from IT department and expands the extant literature of digital transformation by examining the heterogeneous effects of its different components on business performance. The authors also add to the digital strategizing literature by showing that different business strategy goals can be attained through different stages of DT.
Details
Keywords
This study examines whether there are unintended consequences that emerge from status interventions in task groups in relation to cohesion and solidarity. Past theorists have…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines whether there are unintended consequences that emerge from status interventions in task groups in relation to cohesion and solidarity. Past theorists have argued that inconsistent status structures produce weaker levels of cohesion and solidarity in comparison to consistent status structures.
Methodology/approach
Data come from an online experiment involving mixed-sex dyads interacting in one of three conditions. Participants individually completed an ambiguous problem-solving task and then worked together over Zoom audio to form a group decision. In the three conditions, participants were either given no performance feedback before the problem-solving task or were informed the male or the female participant performed better on a pretest related to the task. The conversations were recorded and analyzed using measures related to paraverbal synchronization and accommodation.
Findings
In terms of self-reported cohesion, there appeared to be a difference, albeit a weak one, in only the inconsistent-status condition, with female participants reporting higher levels of cohesion in comparison to males. However, in terms of solidarity, there was no significant difference between the conditions.
Discussion
Although inconsistent status structures were associated with weaker perceptions of cohesion, it did not appear to impact solidarity like theorists have suggested. Status structures do not appear to impact group solidarity.
Implications
The nature of group membership in conjunction with status consistency/inconsistency may produce the significant differences in solidarity that theorists have suggested.
Originality/value of paper
To date, there has been little empirical examination of how status consistency affects cohesion and solidarity. Relatedly, the current study advances the research on vocal accommodation by analyzing status and solidarity simultaneously.
Details
Keywords
Tiziano Volpentesta, Esli Spahiu and Pietro De Giovanni
Digital transformation (DT) is a major challenge for incumbent organisations, as research on this phenomenon has revealed a high failure rate. Given this consideration, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital transformation (DT) is a major challenge for incumbent organisations, as research on this phenomenon has revealed a high failure rate. Given this consideration, this paper reviews the literature on DT in incumbent organisations to identify the main themes and research directions to be undertaken.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a systematic literature review (SLR) and computational literature review (CLR) employing a machine learning algorithm for topic modelling (LDA) to surface the themes discussed in 103 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2022 in a multidisciplinary article sample.
Findings
The authors identify and discuss the five main themes emerging from the studies, offering the state-of-the-art of DT in established firms' literature. The authors find that the most discussed topics revolve around the DT of healthcare, the process of renewal and change, the project management, the changes in value performances and capabilities and the consequences on the products of DT. Accordingly, the authors identify the topics overlooked by literature that future studies could tackle, which concern sustainability and contextualisation of the DT phenomenon.
Practical implications
The authors further propose managerial insights which equip managers with a revolutionary mindset that is not constraining but, rather, integration-seeking. DT is not only about technology (Tabrizi B et al., 2019). Successful DT initiatives require managerial capabilities that foster a sustainable departure from the current organising logic (Markus, 2004). This study pinpoints and prioritises the role that paradox-informed thinking can have to sustain an effective digital mindset (Eden et al., 2018) that allows for the building of momentum in DT initiatives and facilitates the renewal process. Indeed, managers lagging behind DT could shift from an “either-or” solutions mindset where one pole is preferred over the other (e.g. digital or physical) to embracing a “both-and-with” thinking balancing between poles (e.g. digital and physical) to successfully fuse the digital and the legacy (Lewis and Smith, 2022b; Smith, Lewis and Edmondson, 2022), enact the renewal, and build and maintain momentum for DTs. The outcomes of adopting a paradox mindset in managerial practice are enabling learning and creativity, fostering flexibility and resilience and, finally, unleashing human potential (Lewis and Smith, 2014).
Social implications
The authors propose insight that will equip managers with a mindset that will allow DT to fail less often than current reported rates, which failure may imply potential organisational collapse, financial bankrupt and social crisis.
Originality/value
The authors offer a multidisciplinary review of the DT complementing existing reviews due to the focus on the organisational context of established organisations. Moreover, the authors advance paradoxical thinking as a novel lens through which to study DT in incumbent organisations by proposing an array of potential research questions and new avenues for research. Finally, the authors offer insights for managers to help them thrive in DT by adopting a paradoxical mindset.
Details
Keywords
The ability for learners to interact online via their avatars in a 3-D simulation space means that virtual worlds afford a host of educational opportunities not offered by other…
Abstract
The ability for learners to interact online via their avatars in a 3-D simulation space means that virtual worlds afford a host of educational opportunities not offered by other learning technology platforms, but their use also raises several pertinent issues that warrant consideration. This chapter reviews the educational use of virtual worlds from a design perspective. Virtual-world definitions are explored, along with their key educational characteristics. Different virtual-world environments are briefly contrasted, including Second Life, Active Worlds, Open Sim, and Minecraft. A wide variety of virtual-world uses in schools and universities are examined so as to understand their versatility. Key educational benefits of virtual worlds are distilled from the literature, such as the ability to facilitate 3-D simulations, role-plays, construction tasks, and immersive learning. Emergent issues surrounding the use of virtual worlds are also analyzed, including cognitive load, safety, and representational fidelity. One higher education and one school level vignette are provided in order to offer more detailed insight into the use of virtual worlds in practice. Recommendations for learning design and implementation are presented, based on the thematic analysis of contemporary virtual-worlds research.
Jens Eklinder-Frick, Andrea Perna and Vincent Hocine Jean Fremont